22-02-2019
• Ashley Giles praises bowling coach’s discipline and toughness• Stokes and Buttler rested for Malan and Billings in T20 squadChris Silverwood has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Trevor Bayliss as the England head coach after Ashley Giles, the national team’s director of cricket, revealed he is set on appointing one individual for the role.Giles rejoined the Caribbean tour in time to see England’s astonishing six-wicket victory against West Indies on Wednesday and after consulting with members of the Test and one-day setups on his two visits – including the respective team captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan – he has veered away from splitting the position by way of format. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
• United have only lost one of the Norwegian’s 13 games in charge• Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard could return on SundayOle Gunnar Solskjær believes if Manchester United beat Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday it will be another step towards making his side one “worthy of club history”.The Norwegian has won 11 of his 13 games in charge, losing just once, to Paris Saint-Germain in last week’s Champions League last-16 opening leg. Three of the victories have been away at Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
Justified hype at Old Trafford, Manuel Lanzini returns, Leicester’s Youri Tielemans seeks the consistency that eluded him at Monaco and Spurs must be careful at BurnleySometimes you just have to stoke the hype. The ramifications of Sunday’s fixture at Old Trafford could ripple out for years. A victory for Manchester United would deal a serious blow to Liverpool’s hopes of landing that long-awaited title. And if Jürgen Klopp’s team fall short this season, then winning the league will be exponentially more difficult for them in future, especially with title jitters close to institutionalised among their fanbase. That, in turn, would make a United victory particularly satisfying for their supporters and increase the chances of Ole Gunnar Solskjær being appointed as the club’s permanent manager (and a bonus offshoot of that could be, if reports are to be believed, that Chelsea get to thinking it would be a good idea to promote Gianfranco Zola). Continue reading...

22-02-2019
Who defied his age? Who scored quickly? Who made a packet? Matt Kuchar earned $1.3m in prize money for his victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. How much did the golfer pay his caddie?$5,000$130,000 $300,000 $1.3m Why does Anthony Joshua’s next opponent, Jarrell Miller, go by the nickname “Big Baby”? He takes a cuddly toy with him wherever he goesHe weighed 10 pounds at birthHis first opponent called him that before the opening bell – and was quickly knocked outHe lost a betJoshua is fighting Miller on 1 June. Which other sporting event is taking place that night?The last game of the Six Nations The Cricket World Cup final The men’s singles final at WimbledonThe Champions League finalWho scored a hat-trick in 30 minutes this week?Sergio Agüero Eden Hazard Roberto Firmino Jonny MayPaul Scholes made his managerial debut this week. Which footballer announced his retirement on the day Scholes made his playing debut way back in 1994?Bryan Robson Gary LinekerDiego Maradona Glenn Hoddle Gordon Banks, who died this week aged 81, is most famous for winning the World Cup with England in 1966. In which country did he play his last game as a professional footballer in 1977?Republic of IrelandEgyptCanada UruguayDeclan Rice says he wants to play for the England football team. Why has his decision gone down badly with some Irish supporters?He grew up in Northern Ireland and played for their Under-21 team He was born in the Republic of Ireland He has already played three matches for the Republic of IrelandHe was in the Republic of Ireland squad for Euro 2016 but didn&#39;t playThe organisers of next year’s Olympics in Tokyo say the medals will be made from…Metals mined from below the stadium in Tokyo Old phones and computersShipwrecks found off the Japanese coastMetal found in the Acropolis in Athens Where is the best team in the southern hemisphere meeting the best team in the northern hemisphere this weekend?Wellington WichitaWiganWinnipegMatthijs de Ligt captained Ajax against Real Madrid this week in the Champions League. What is remarkable about that?He only made his debut in August He has already signed to play for Real Madrid next season He is still a teenagerHis brother captained the team in their previous match 1 and above.Nine wrong answers in a multiple-choice format. Impressive2 and above.Eight wrong answers in a multiple-choice format. Impressive3 and above.Chin up. There&#39;s always next week4 and above.Chin up. There&#39;s always next week5 and above.That&#39;s a fine score. Well played6 and above.That&#39;s a fine score. Well played7 and above.That&#39;s a fine score. Well played. 8 and above.That&#39;s a super score. Well played9 and above.You star. Have a great weekend0 and above.Ten wrong answers in a multiple-choice format. Impressive10 and above.You legend. Have a great weekend Continue reading...

22-02-2019
Brighton super-middleweight has one last chance to show that he can live with a top operator on Saturday when he takes on James DeGale in a bout which will leave the loser with nowhere to go“This is the biggest and most important fight of my career,” Chris Eubank Jr says quietly, rocking gently on a plastic chair in a tiny office tucked away in his gym on Hove seafront. He nods intently as he considers his battle against James DeGale at the O2 in London on Saturday night. “It’s definitely the one where I have the most to lose. A loss would leave me in no man’s land. DeGale is in exactly the same position. We both cannot afford defeat. We’re both on the edge and someone’s going to fall.”I have asked just one opening question and Eubank has cut to the heart. He and DeGale are preparing for a bout which will surely leave the loser facing the end of his career. Of course this is boxing and so a controversial decision or a narrow defeat might persuade the defeated fighter that one last shot at redemption is possible. But both men recognise their future, and long-term reputations, could be decided this weekend. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
Anthony Joshua&#39;s first press conference with Jarrell &#39;Big Baby&#39; Miller got off to a heated start when he was shoved by the American before a word had been said. Miller went on to accuse Joshua of being &#39;fake&#39;, an &#39;Uncle Tom&#39; and a &#39;giant pussy&#39;, sparking an expletive-laden back-and-forth between the two heavyweight rivals across the press conference table at Madison Square Garden in New York.Jarrell Miller can’t beat me even on his best day, says Anthony Joshua Continue reading...

22-02-2019
• Coventry given deadline of 5 March to provide an update• Club say they ‘want to do a deal’ to stay at Ricoh ArenaThe EFL has warned Coventry City they risk being expelled from the league unless they confirm where they intend to play home matches next season.“The EFL board has formally written to Coventry City with a final request for clarity in regard to where the club will stage its home matches for the 2019-20 season,” a statement released by the league on Friday said. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
• Tottenham striker back in training after ankle injury• ‘I don’t care if he feels ready or wants to play or not’Mauricio Pochettino has praised the “animal” qualities that have enabled Harry Kane to fight back from an ankle injury to the point where he could return to action at Burnley on Saturday. The striker has missed seven Tottenham matches since damaging the ankle in the defeat by Manchester United on 13 January.“Everyone knows that Harry is an animal – he wants to be ready as soon as possible,” Pochettino said. “He did everything to try to recover and of course the injury that he suffered is tough to recover from. We’re so happy that in the last 10 days he was fantastic, back in training again, and he can be available again. It’s going to be a massive impact for everyone [when he returns]. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
Newcastle winger remains close to his roots in Ghana and takes inspiration from ‘father figure’ Rafael BenítezIt is a very long way from Ghana’s Ada Foah to Hillsong church on Newcastle’s Westgate Road – and not merely in miles. Christian Atsu has made that transformative journey, swapping an existence as one of 10 children whose late father eked out a living fishing and farming on the junction of the Volta River and the Atlantic Ocean, for a new life on Tyneside.Almost everything has altered but one constant remains: the Newcastle winger’s Christian faith. Church was a central part of Atsu’s childhood and worship at Hillsong, a short walk from St James’ Park, binds the Ghana international to his new habitat. Continue reading...

22-02-2019
• Wales coach worked with Sinckler on Lions tour in 2017• England’s travel plans also dismissed as ‘significant mistake’Warren Gatland has responded to Eddie Jones’s attempts to wind up Wales before the Six Nations game on Saturday by describing the England tighthead Kyle Sinckler as an “emotional timebomb”.Gatland also called England’s decision to delay their journey to Cardiff until Friday afternoon as a “significant mistake” and dismissed Jones’s claim that Gatland’s current side are the greatest in Welsh history. The England coach had earlier questioned whether Wales can handle the expectation that comes with seeking a record 12th consecutive win in what will be Gatland’s last Six Nations match against England. Continue reading...